1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable device for assisting a wheelchair user to transfer from a wheelchair onto a bed and from a bed onto a wheelchair.
2. Description of the Related Art
The process of transferring an invalid person to and from a bed and a wheelchair often requires the help of two or more assistants. The task frequently requires considerable strength and is a common source of injury to the person being transferred or to an attendant doing the transfer or both. These transfer problems are often the major reason for requiring a patient to be hospitalized or moved to a nursing home, rather than being cared for at home, thereby increasing the cost of care. Moreover, invalid persons can easily be injured when they are being transferred between a bed and a wheelchair.
Most prior art teaching a device for transferring an invalid person between a wheelchair and a bed, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,735,165 and 5,596,775, and most products currently available on the market require that an invalid person be assisted by third parties, such as licensed healthcare personnel. Services of such personnel may be very expensive and may also infringe on an invalid person's sense of independence and self worth. Furthermore, transfer devices currently available tend to be bulky and expensive, making them poorly suited for in-home or hotel use. The present invention is a new, useful, and nonobvious device that addresses the issues identified above that remained unsolved until now.